TOMMY EMMANUEL

Client Biography

Give a listen to “Old Photographs,”
the closing track on Tommy Emmanuel’s It’s
Never Too Late (2015), and you’ll hear the distinctive squeak of finger
noise as he runs his hands across the frets of his Maton Signature TE guitar.
It’s an imperfection in the performance that players typically try to eliminate
in practice, and in the hands of a less-secure musician, that sound could
easily be edited from the recording with Pro Tools recording technology.

But in their own way, those
imperfections are perfect. For all of the masterful technique and flashy ability
that’s brought Emmanuel recognition among the world’s greatest guitarists, that
finger noise lets the audience know he is one of them. The same approach was
taken with Tommy Emmanuel’s latest offering, the 15-track LIVE! At The Ryman (2017), a “genuine ‘had to be there,’ no fix
ups, no frills recording,” says Emmanuel. “Each of my guitars has pickups and
microphones included when you buy them, so the sound you hear from this
recording is exactly as it sounds in the hall.”

LIVE!
At The Ryman—recorded
in front of a sold-out audience at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in
February 2016—highlights Emmanuel’s fervor as a master guitarist and also
encapsulates a landmark moment for the musician as he is joined on stage by Steve
Wariner and John Knowles, the only
other two living CGPs (Certified Guitar Players: the honor and moniker
Chet Atkins assigned not only to himself but four other guitarists he admired
and felt contributed to the legacy of guitar playing) for a performance of “San
Antonio Stroll.” An accomplished fingerstyle player, Emmanuel frequently
threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a
one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at
once. That expert layering is exemplified during LIVE! At The Ryman, notably on “Eva Waits,” a new song from
Emmanuel that has not been released on a previous album.

Given his first guitar at age four,
he started working professionally just two years later in a family band, the
Emmanuel Quartet. He never learned to read and write music, but he and his
brother Phil were dedicated students of the instrument, creating games that
helped them identify chords and patterns. They became adept at picking out the
nuances of complex chords, a talent that takes most musicians years to develop.

Emmanuel
pursued it with a passion and after graduating, Emmanuel became one of
Australia’s most in-demand rock musicians, playing guitar in a succession of
bands, including one of Australia’s best-known acts, Dragon. He supplemented
that with a side job as a studio musician, playing on albums by the likes of
Air Supply and Men At Work, and on commercial jingles. Eventually Emmanuel ventured
out on his own and began to treat his shows like a jazz musician would,
eschewing set lists, improvising his way through many of his songs to capture and
shape the mood of the room. He could certainly sense the support. In addition
to the standing ovations from his audiences, the recognitions rolled in,
including two Grammy nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording
Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy) and
repeated honors in the Guitar Player
magazine reader’s poll. He’s also been named a Kentucky Colonel, received
several honorary degrees and shared a key moment with brother Phil on the world
stage, performing during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney. Emmanuel
also earned the opportunity to work with the likes of Eric Clapton, Doc Watson,
John Denver and the incomparable Atkins. Emmanuel teamed with Chet on a 1997
project, The Day Finger Pickers Took Over
the World, which proved to be Atkins’ final project. Atkins practically
handpicked Emmanuel as his creative heir, though he never intended for Tommy to
be a simple clone.

Press Releases

01.10.19

TOMMY EMMANUEL and JOHN KNOWLES To Release ‘Heart Songs’ Album Friday (1/11) And Tour Nationally